Kansas Police Academy Training

There are about 6,250 police officers in Kansas, making an average salary of $44,000 a year, and every single one of them went through police academy training. There are several options for cadets living in Kansas, and eachtraining center is designed for a specific law enforcement designation. For example, Kansas state troopers have to attend a different academy than police officers. The job of a law enforcement officer is highly specialized, and the extensive amount of training reflects this fact. Those officers that find the most fulfillment in the work are not after the paycheck or benefits; they are the police that take pride in making their community a better place, they are the public servants that strive to make a positive difference in the world.

Qualifications

Kansas requires that all police officers be at least 21 years old, hold a valid driver’s license, and legally reside in the state. Past these prerequisites, there are several different screening processes throughout the application process. Incoming cadets are evaluated for physical health, including vision, hearing, and health check-ups. Any applicants with health complications may be turned away from training. There are further physical trials, such as strength and endurance, and these are also integral to the application process. Every cadet is held to a high standard of physical and moral excellence, therefore criminal backgrounds and financial histories must also be evaluated. Any cadet with a history of violence or drug-related misdemeanors may send up a red-flag in the application process, and no felonies are permitted when joining the police force. In terms of financial history, academies check credit scores to make sure that there are no conflicting interests or outstanding debts to society that will inhibit proper police conduct.

Popular Police Academies

There are several options for police academy training in Kansas, but most cadets are sent to one of two main facilities. The Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Hutchinson and the Wichita-Sedgwick County Law Enforcement Training Center in Wichita are the two most popular police academies in the state. Police cadets and deputy recruits are trained at these facilities most often, but there are also several other choices for training including the Kansas City Police Department Academy, Topeka Police Department Academy, and the Johnson County Regional Police Academy. To be trained as a state trooper, there is one specific academy that recruits must attend, and this is the Kansas Highway Patrol Academy in Salina. Most cadets are recruited through hiring agencies, and choosing a preferredtraining academy may not be possible if assigned to one by the recruiting board.